Boat beaching gear



Sept. 7, 1954 H. A. WILSON BOAT BEACHING GEAR Filed May 8, 1950 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 7, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to boat beaching gear and more particularly to gear which can be conveniently applied to comparatively small boats whereby the beaching thereof may be readily accomplished without undue effort or additional equipment.

Devices of this character as presently manufactured are heavy in weight and generally cumbersome. The use thereof is burdensome by reason of difficulties of both installation and removal and, in most instances, the boat must be provided with appropriate brackets or clamps which present problems of installation and which are unsightly, impairing the lines and freedom of movement of the boat.

It is accordingly a major object of the present invention to provide boat beaching gear which will be particularly light in weight and which may be easily installed upon a boat or removed therefrom.

It is a further object of the invention to provide boat beaching gear of the class set forth which may be mounted or installed upon a boat without any necessity for brackets, clamps, or other fastening means.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide boat beaching gear which may be conveniently installed or mounted upon a boat by an occupant thereof, while the boat is afloat, without any necessity for the individual performing the installation leaving the boat or otherwise getting wet.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide boat beaching gear of the class set forth which will be adaptable and adjustable, within a relatively wide range, for use upon boats of different sizes.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide boat beaching gear which may be conveniently mounted or installed upon a boat with out any possibility of marring or otherwise damaging the portion of the boat upon which the device is supported.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide boat beaching gear of the class set forth which may be compactly collapsed and conveniently placed within the boat, when not in use, and which will not occupy any substantial amount of space.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide boat beaching gear which will be strong and durable, which may be economically manufactured, and which will have no complicated parts or mechanism which may get out of order.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a transverse sectional viewtaken through a boat and illustrating one embodiment of the novel boat beaching gear of the present invention mounted thereupon;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of the bottom of a boat, illustrating the boat beaching gear of Fig. 1 attached thereto;

Fig. 3, an enlarged elevational view of one of the side members forming part of the gear;

Fig. 4, a side elevational view, also on a somewhat enlarged scale, of a modified form of side member, parts being broken away; and

Fig. 5, a detail transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

There has been illustrated in the drawing, somewhat diagrammatically, a boat l0 of conventional design and including a bow II and stern 12. The boat further includes a relatively flat bottom 13 and inclined sides or chines l4. Rub strakes or molding strips may be provided, on the outer surfaces of the sides 14 adjacent the extremities thereof, and the bottom [3 may include a plurality of the usual supporting runners or skegs I5, all as is well known in this art. It will be understood, however, that neither the boat illustrated nor the particular design thereof forms any part of the present invention and that the boat beaching gear illustrated may be modified without any alteration of the inventive concept thereof to conveniently fit or for ready mounting upon a boat without regard to the lines or design thereof.

Preferably the boat beaching gear per se comprises a pair of hook-like side members it and H intended for engagement upon opposite sides of the gunwale of the boat 10, substantially adjacent the stern [2 thereof. These side members are relatively narrow in width and may be fabricated from any suitable light weight metal. The member [6 will be described as the right hand member and is intended to be supported upon the right hand side of the boat, however, these side members are interchangeable and the device may be mounted with equal facility adjacent the forward or central portion of the boat, as circumstances may require or direct.

The upper extremity of the side member I6 is inwardly and downwardly directed, as indicated at [8, and is intended to be hooked or hung upon the side or chine I l of the boat. An angle iron supporting bracket 1 9, of somewhat greater length than the width of the side member, is riveted, welded or otherwise fixedly secured to the lower extremity of the side member [6 on the inner face thereof, the length of the side member being such that the hook-like upper extremity IE will snugly engage the upper edge of the side I4 and stituting a wheel supporting bracket, is riveted, welded or otherwise fixedly secured to the under surface of the arm of the bracket 19, the inner extremity of the arm 2| terminating in a downwardly directed portion 22. The portion 22 is suitably apertured for the reception of a pin 23 upon which is supported the clevis 24 of a pulley 25, for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described.

The outer extremity of the arm 2l terminates in a tubular bearing or support 26 for a stub axle 21 upon which is supported a Wheel 28, a suitable fastening means, such as a nut or the like 29, being provided to retain the wheel upon the axle and to permit disassembly or demounting thereof. The inner extremity of the axle 2'! is welded or otherwise secured to the under surface of the arm 2|.

The side member I6 is generally complementary to the side member I! and includes an inwardly and downwardly directed upper xtremity 3a intended to be hooked or hung upon the opposite side or chine M of the boat in a position directly opposed to the side member l6. An angle iron supporting bracket 3|, substantially identical to the bracket [9, is riveted, Welded or otherwise secured to the lower extremity of the side member H on the inner face thereof, the meeting corner of the bottom l3 and side M of the boat resting upon the horizontally disposed portion 32 of the bracket 3 I.

A horizontally disposed supporting arm 33, constituting a wheel supporting bracket and generally similar to the supporting arm 2 I, is riveted, welded or otherwise fixedly secured to the under surface of the arm 32 of the bracket 3|, the inner extremity of the arm 33 being provided with an eye or the like 34, rigidly secured thereto as by welding or other suitable means, for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described.

The outer extremity of the arm 33 terminates in a tubular hearing or support 35, identical to the bearing .26, and apertured for the reception of a stub axle 21 upon which is supported a wheel 28, suitable fastening means, such as a nut or the like 29, being provided for retaining the Wheel in position upon the axle and permitting demounting thereof. The inner extremity of the stub axle 27 is welded or otherwise secured to the under surface of the arm 33 as indicated more particularly at 36 in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

A flexible line or rope 31 is employed, to provide a securing connection or linkage between the opposed side members it and H and the structure associated therewith. The side member IT is provided with a suitable cleat 38, welded or otherwise rigidly secured thereto, and the angle member 3| is provided with a suitable pulley 39, welded or otherwise secured to the outer face thereof, to assist in ready manipulation or adj ustment of the rope 31. Preferably the pulley 39, which is supported within a bracket 40, is of the so-called awning type whereby disengagement of rope and pulley cannot be accomplished inadvertently, it being necessary to thread the rope through a suitable aperture in the pulley supporting structure.

Installation of the boat beaching gear of the present invention is particulraly simple. The extremity 4| of the rope 31 is secured to the loop 34 on the supporting arm 33 (see Fig. 3 of the drawing) and the opposite extremity of the rope is then threaded through the pulleys and 39. The side member I6 is then positioned upon a side of the boat, for example adjacent the stem thereof, and the rope 31 is swung or otherwise permitted to pass beneath the boat, it being borne in mind that this rope is of sufficient length to provide ample looseness to permit of ready clearance of the bottom and opposite side of the boat as well as propeller, outboard motor, or the like.

The side member i1 is then positioned upon the opposite side of the boat in opposed relationship to the side member l6 and the rope 31 is then tightened, thus securing the side members and associated structure in position. When appropriate tension has been reached, insofar as the rope 3'! is concerned, the rope is secured upon the cleat 38. The boat may then be brought to shore and readily beached, the beaching gear remaining securely in position until manually removed.

After the boat has been again floated, removal of the beaching gear is a simple reversal of the process described hereabove, and installation or removal may be easily accomplished by a single occupant of the boat without undue effort or necessity for leaving the boat.

It will be obvious that the lengths of the side member and angular or other inclination thereof should be complementary to the design of the boat upon which the gear is intended to be used. Ready modification of the device can be accomplished, to provide custom-built gear for each and every boat.

There has been illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing a modification of the side member l6 which will permit of extensibility thereof to compensa-te for boats having sides of different heights, thus to provide beaching gear which may be employed upon several different sizes of boats, within a certain range. In this modified form of the device the side member comprises a channel shaped fixed lower portion 42 provided with a plurality of spaced apertures 43 and including side Walls 44. The angle bracket 3|, carrying the Wheel supporting bracket 33, is secured to the lower extremity of the channel member 42. An upper side member terminating in an inwardly and downwardly directed extremity 46 is positioned between the side walls 44 of the lower member for vertically adjustable movement. The upper side member is provided with a plurality of spaced apertures 4'1, similar to the apertures 43 in the lower side member and adapted for alignment therewith, To securely retain the upper and lower side members in adjusted position, fastening elements 48 are provided, positioned within aligned apertures 43 and 41. Preferably these fastening members 48 include heads ill which are countersunk into the inner face of the channel member 42 so as to obviate any possibility of marring the adjacent surface of the side of the boat. Suitable nuts 58 are provided, intended for engagement with the threaded fastening elements 48, whereby the upper and lower side members may be securely maintained in adjusted position.

It will be readily apparent that, with the modifled form of side member structure described hereabove, boat beaching gear has been provided which will readily fit upon or accommodateboats of different sizes insofar as height of side is concerned.

The boat beaching gear of the present invention is particularly light in weight and easy to mount. When removed from the boat, when the vessel is afloat, it may be placed to one side and will not occupy any particularly great amount of space. Installation, or removal, presents no problem and may be accomplished by a single individual, or occupant of the boat, without requiring undue effort or providing any necessity for leaving the boat. lhe device is extremely durable, having no part or parts that are subjected to any particular degree of stress or wear, is susceptible of unusually long life, and may be manufactured with great economy. It is especially adapted for use upon boats of different widths, without alteration of any character, and may be readily adjusted insofar as the height of the side of the boat, upon which it is used, is concerned.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in the drawing and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Gear for application to an open top boat without modification of the structure thereof comprising a pair of units, each unit including a side member for application to the outside of a boat and including an inwardly extending hook for engaging and embracing the top edge of a side of the boat without modification of the boat, an elongated member located below said hook and secured to said side member so that portions of said elongated member extend rearwardly and forwardly of the hook for engaging the side and bottom of the boat, a supporting arm fixed to said elongated member intermediate the ends thereof for location beneath the bottom of the boat, a wheel rotatably mounted on said supporting arm adjacent the end thereof for operation outwardly of the boats outline when the device is mounted on a boat whereby the wheel may contact the ground below and outwardly of the boats outline, and tension means connecting said units, said tension means including an actuating portion extending to the upper end of one of said side members along said side member whereby the tension may be applied by an occupant of the boat and means to secure the tension means in tense condition.

2. Gear for application to an open top boat without modification of the structure thereof comprising a pair of units, each unit including a side member for application to the outside of a boat and including an inwardly extending hook for engaging and embracing the top edge of a side of the boat without modification of the boat, an elongated member located below said hook and secured to said side member so that portions of said elongated member extend rearwardly and forwardly of the hook for engaging the side and bottom of the boat, a supporting arm fixed to said elongated member intermediate the ends thereof for location beneath the bottom of the boat, a wheel rotatably mounte on said supporting arm adjacent the end thereof for operation outwardly of the boats outline when the device is mounted on a boat whereby the wheel may contact the ground below and outwardly of the boats outline, and tension means connecting said units, said tension means including an actuating portion extending to the upper end of one of said side members along said side member whereby the tension may be applied by an occupant of the boat and means to secure the tension means in tense condition and means for adjusting the length of the said side members whereby the distance between said hook and the longitudinal member on each unit may be varied for accommodating boats of different sizes.

3. Gear for application to an open top boat without modification of the structure thereof comprising a pair of units, each unit including a side member for application to the outside of a boat and including an inwardly extending hook for engaging and embracing the top edge of a' side of the boat without modification of the boat, an elongated member located below said hook and secured to said side member so that portions of said elongated member extend rearwardly and forwardly of the hook for engaging the side and bottom of the boat, a supporting arm fixed to said elongated member interme diate the ends thereof for location beneath the bottom of the boat, a wheel rotatably mounted on said supporting arm adjacent the end thereof for opera-tion outwardly of the boats outline when the device is mounted on a boat whereby the wheel may contact the ground below and outwardly of the boats outline, and tension means connecting said units, said tension means including, a cable having one end secured to the supporting arm of one of said units, a pulley on the supporting arm of the other unit, said cable extending from the said supporting arm of said unit through the pulley on the other unit and then from said pulley to the said one unit and up along the side member of said one unit, and means on the said side member of said one unit above the water line for securing the cable in tensed condition, whereby the gear may be applied or removed while the boat is in the water.

4. Gear for application to an open top boat without modification of the structure thereof comprising a pair of units, each unit including a side member for application to the outside of a boat and including an inwardly extending hook for engaging and embracing the top edge of a side of the boat without modification of the boat, an elongated member located below said hook and secured to said side member so that portions of said elongated member extend rearwardly and forwardly of the hook for engaging the side and bottom of the boat, a wheel rotatably mounted on the said members of each of said units for contacting the ground below the boat when the units are mounted on a boat, and tension means connecting said units including an actuating portion extending to the upper end of one of said side members and along said side member whereby the tension may be applied by an occupant of the boat, and means to secure the tension means in tense condition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 379,555 Baker Mar. 20, 1888 466,522 Gregg Jan. 5, 1892 737,846 Jennings Sept. 1, 1903 813,032 Baker Feb. 20, 1906 1,176,876 Vartabedian Mar. 28, 1916 1,392,343 Leishman Oct. 4, 1921 1,479,351 Winterbottom Jan. 1, 1924 1,512,771 Lawler et a1. Oct. 21, 1924 1,520,630 Bateman Dec. 23, 1924 2,115,864 Livermon May 3, 1938 2,424,641 Swanson July 29, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 449,374 Germany Sept. 16, 1927 p 

